Amazon reveals Luna, its cloud gaming service

Amazon reveals Luna, its cloud gaming service

Google Stadia, Microsoft xCloud rival coming from Amazon

Amazon is diving deeper into the gaming space. The mega company has announced that it will finally be launching its long-rumored game streaming service, Luna, this year. First arriving in Early Access in October, the service will run on a $5.99 monthly subscription and feature over 100 games.

The service will run on the company’s AWS for full cloud interface, from games to even the controller. The controller, an updated version of the company’s Fire TV game controller from 2015, will actually connect to the web instead of to devices via bluetooth with what they’re calling Cloud Direct Technology. The controller will even have Alexa built in.

Luna will feature “channels” that allow for other services to be added on. Their initial landing page shows Ubisoft’s Uplay, so expect all the Assassin’s Creed titles you can handle.

The current Early Access test will feature 1080p visuals running at 60fps, with 4k coming later, and accessible on two devices at a time. Twitch will be a big part of Luna, as players will get to watch their favorite streamers (hi, Ninja!) and play that same game with the click of a button — similar to how Google is positioning Stadia.

Most importantly however, is that Luna will launch on PC, Mac, Fire devices and even iOS, via progressive web apps. This is a platform that Microsoft and Google haven’t been able to get on yet, due to Apple’s restrictive policies.

Amazon’s Luna is set to go into Early Access in October for $5.99/month. Sign-ups are open now.